Mid-season NFL Wednesdays are usually unremarkable and easily forgotten. While players and coaches may be busy, by Week 6 both the routines and the work will be familiar. The traditional off day is over, and the first day back to work. Browns’ players means full-on introduction of the game plan and something resembling a full-speed practice in the early afternoon.
Open practice reporting was ended in August. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski would rather visit the local dentist’s office for a pre-practice root canal than actually reveal anything about what those in charge of the team discussed over the prior two days or what they think might happen with the injury report or roster from Wednesday-Friday, so we take what morsels we can find and gather them for the days that follow.
This is just a different way to say that the Browns began a new work week Wednesday morning. This isn’t just any week. Because the Browns are at crossroads, they are a team that isn’t just any team. Defense keeps crossing its signals and is constantly being sabotaged by the run. The Browns will host the New England Patriots Sunday in a battle of 2-3 teams that isn’t officially a playoff elimination game because we’re still in the first part of October and almost two-thirds of the season remains. But it’s a really, really big game.
If the Browns lose, they’ll have a third home loss to an AFC opponent. They’re facing the possibility of losing three straight games for just the second time in Stefanski’s three seasons.
